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Death Toll Rises to 8 in Kaduna Gas Explosion

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The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) on Friday said a combine team of DPR, KEPA and other agencies have recovered mutilated bodies of three more victims of the Jan. 4 Kaduna gas explosion.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the recovery of the three bodies brings to eight the number of victims killed by the gas explosion.

The North West Zonal Controller, DPR, Isa Tafida made the disclosure during a condolence visit to the family of the late Chairman of Nigeria Atomic Energy Commission, Prof.

Simon Mallam.

Tafida represented the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva and the Director, DPR, Auwalu Sarki during the condolence to the family of the late professor at Gonin Gora, Kaduna.

Tafida also paid a sympathy visit to Joel Daniel, 36, a survivor of the explosion being treated from severe burns at St Gerrad Hospital, Kaduna.

“The department in collaboration with security and other government agencies including KEPA and KASUPDA evacuated the cylinders in the shop where the gas explosion occurred to safety and in the process, mutilated bodies of three other victims were recovered under the debris.

“The operator who brought the calamity upon the victims was operating at the premises illegally.

“From the information we received, he came from another location because of our campaign against illegal gas operators, unfortunately, nobody alerted us,“ he said.

Tafida said DPR, together with the security and other agencies would comb the nooks and crannies of the country to check such illegal operators.

“While expressing the condolences of the Minister of State Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva and the Director, DPR, Auwalu Sarki to you and other members of the family, we will like to assure you that government is taking adequate measures to forestall  reoccurrence of such disasters which has to do with illegality,“ Tafida said.

He said the department has also engaged in public sensitization on safe handling of gas.

“This particular incident did not have to do with Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) but industrial gas also known as Acetylene which is used for welding and in some industrial activities,“ he said.

The official said that Acetylene is more dangerous than LPG and whoever is engaging in that type of business should get approval and license from relevant authorities to avert danger.

He assured that security agencies were working to track down the operator of the gas shop who is currently at large.

Meanwhile, the family of the late professor has appealed to the Federal Government to take appropriate regulatory measures to avert similar incidents in any part of the country.

Dorcas Kasang-Aderigbigbe, daughter of the deceased, made the appeal while receiving the delegation.

“Because you are coming from the minister and the Department of Petroleum Resources, please we the family members want to appeal to those in authority at the national level to take necessary steps to ensure that this does not happen to any family again.

“It has come to our notice that the Kaduna State governor and the agencies involved are doing something about it in the state, but we want to appeal that steps be taken at the national level to ensure that this does not happen again.

“We do not want any family to go through what we are going through.

“That is why we are pleading that whatever regulatory measures that needed to be taken, be taken to ensure that this does not happen again,” Kasang-Aderigbigbe said. (NAN)

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FCT Civil Service Commission Begins Regularisation of FCTA Staff Appointments

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The Federal Capital Territory Civil Service Commission has begun the regularisation of staff appointments in the FCT Administration and the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA).

The Head of the Civilo Service, Dr Udo Atang, said at the commencement of the exercise in Abuja on Wednesday, that the move was to ensure accurate data of all staff.

Atang described the regularisation as a “critical” exercise, which forms the bedrock of the new FCT Civil Service Commission (CSC).

He pointed out that all the staff were holding letters of appointments from various agencies, departments, area councils, and the defunct Ministry of FCT and FCDA among others.

The holders of these letters, he said, have been raising issues of discrimination based on letters of appointment.

According to him, the exercise and the gazette by the commission that will come thereafter, will give all staff a sense of identity.

“The essence of this regularisation is to ensure that staff are properly documented.

“You will now have letters that will now qualify you as a bonafide staff of the FCT Civil Service Commission.”

The head of service, who appealed for full cooperation of the workers, directed that a list of all staff on course, study leave, leave of absence and other related permissions be compiled and submitted.

He added that the list should be compiled with grade level, designation and record of service, including approvals.

Atang commended the FCT Minister, Mr Nyesom Wike, for his doggedness and commitment in implementing the provisions of the FCT CSC Act, 2018.

Noting Wike’s support and love for the FCT workers, the head of service urged the workers to reciprocate the minister’s uncommon gesture, by being dedicated and committed to their respective duties.

Also speaking, the Chairman, FCT CSC, Mr Emeka Ezeh, stressed that part of the responsibilities of the commission was in the appointment, promotion and discipline of all FCTA and FCDA workers.

Ezeh also stressed the need for the workers to be more committed in the discharge of their responsibilities. (NAN)

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Jos School Collapse: CWON Holds Trauma Healing Session for Parents, Survivors

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From Jude Dangwam, Jos

The Catholic Women Organization of Nigeria (CWON) has organized a trauma healing session for survivors of the Jos Saint Academy School collapse alongside parents who lost their children in the unfortunate incident.The National President of the organization, Dame Mary Gonzum noted that the effort was part of their psychosocial support and counseling services for victims of the school building collapse as a follow-up to the assessment of the condition of the victims during their visit.

Gonzum speaking during a one day trauma session held at the Secretariat of the Justice Development and Peace/Caritas Commission (JDPC) of the Catholic Archdiocese located along Zaria Road in Jos the Plateau State capital said the trauma healing session was in continuation of their intervention to students who experienced the building collapsed.
”Today, a trauma healing session was flagged off with a seminar on how to go about handling the trauma that victims of the Saint Academy School Busa Buji in Jos are passing through.”We will later select those that are so traumatic and need help to continue with the process of healing because it is not something that will end in a day or two but will need sometime.”The surviving students who experienced the building collapsed, parents of the students are all here because some parents are so traumatic, we have one other woman that lost two children”This trauma became necessary because when we went visiting in the hospitals, we observed that some of them are really traumatic. Like the other boy, his mother said up till today he kept telling his mother that he is seeing dead bodies, and anybody he sees he will say is his classmate.”Some of the affected parents while sharing their encounters after the incident said they hardly sleep in the day or night time. Some manage to sleep for two hours and they’re awake, and from the little lectures we received today it is clear that there is a problem,” She noted.The President calls on the government to ensure that those saddled with the responsibility of approving, inspecting and supervising structures are meant to do their job with all diligence to avert future happenings again.Some of the affected parents including; Hasana Suleman Sale who lost two of her children recalled with pains the unfortunate development that claimed the lives of her two children. She expressed gratitude for the trauma healing session which she said came as a means of consolation and strength for her to overcome the trauma she is passing through.

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Metro

Catholic Church Welcomes New Apostolic Nuncio

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The Catholic Church in Nigeria  has welcomed the newly-appointed Apostolic to Nigeria, Archbishop Michael Francis Crotty.

Crotty, an Irish, was appointed by the Vatican.

He will oversee the propagation of the gospel of Jesus Christ through the church in Nigeria.

The position, an ambassadorial status, advances cohesion in the body of Christ.

In his welcome message for Crotty on Tuesday,  the President of Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), Archbishop Lucius Ugorji, said that the Church was glad to receive him.

The CBCN president,   who is also  the Archbishop of Owerri Catholic Archdiocese, said,” With joy and gratitude to God, I extend a hearty welcome to Archbishop Michael Francis Crotty on behalf of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, clergy, religious and lay faithful in Nigeria.

“We are thankful to His Holiness, Pope Francis, for appointing Archbishop Michael Francis Crotty as the Apostolic Nuncio to Nigeria to build on the good works of his predecessor, Archbishop Antonio Filipazzi.

“His appointment is a testament to the strong spiritual bond between our countries,” he said.

He said that although Crotty was the first Apostolic Nuncio from Ireland to serve in Nigeria, many Irish missionaries had played significant roles in spreading the gospel in Nigeria.

“We appreciate Archbishop Crotty’s acceptance of serving in Nigeria and assure him of our full support and cooperation.

“We pray for a fruitful mission and a blessed tenure for our excellency,”  he added. (NAN)

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